DEPARTURE FROM FRESH-WATER HABITATS IN AM PHIBIANS AND ASSOCIATED CHANGES

Departure from freshwater to a terrestrial environment occurs at metam orphosis in many species of amphibians. During this phenomenon, many c hanges appear at different levels and are correlated to this ecologica l transition. Morpho-anatomical transformations arise from cellular ev ents as proliferation, migration, differentiation or degeneration. Oth ers are observed at the molecular level and adapt better still the met amorphosed animals to a terrestrial life. A complex endocrine determin ism presides over these changes whatever the studied level may be.